Carles Rafols i Belles

Project title: Multiscale Modelling of Corrosion Scales

Supervisors: Nicholas Harrison

Project description:The cost of corrosion is estimated to be over $2 trillion per annum. Current theories of corrosion are in large part based on the phenomenology of average behaviour and predict more of less successfully average corrosion rates for widely used metallurgies. This is often insufficient to allow us to generate new strategies for detecting, controlling and ultimately preventing corrosion especially in extreme environments. To investigate the growth mechanism and the corrosion scale properties under relevant conditions a new corrosion scale growth model has been developed to predict the key processes that determine what degree of protection does the scale offer against corrosion. This novel approach combined with Density Functional Theory calculations can provide valuable insight on the critical early stages of corrosion which can lead to better prevention and detection methods.